Keeping you safe
by Mrs Montague
Summary: The Dark Lord laughed. "Astoria will accompany the Death Eaters." Astoria froze, her face draining from all color. "No!", Daphne screamed and stepped protectively in front of her sister, "Take me - I'll do it."


_Hey :) First of all: Enlish isn't my native language, hence it's not perfect. Sorry :)_

_If there are any mistakes don't hesitate to tell me :)_

* * *

Keeping you safe

„I'm really disappointed, Thomas", drawled the Dark Lord, „How is it possible that Harry Potter has been seen in Hogsmeade this morning ?"

An excited murmur errupted all around the hall in Malfoy Manor.

„My Lord, I -", Thomas Greengrass spluttered desperately.

„Keep silent !", the Dark Lord interrupted him sizzling, „I instructed you to make sure no one enters Hogsmeade without your noticing – yet Potter kept playing us for fools, again. And I keep asking myself – why ? Didn't I tell you to put an alarm for Apparation on the village ?"

„You did, my Lord", Thomas gulped, „I have no idea how this could've happend, my Lord."

„And they say you'd be the best there is", Voldemort drew his wand and aimed it the cowering, pathetic creature at his feet, „_Crucio !_"

Greengrass screamed in agony, his body convulsing with pain.

Among the crowd of laughing Death Eaters Daphne Greengrass drew her younger sister Astoria into her arms. Astoria cried uncontrollably, her hands clawing into her sister shirt.

Draco Malfoy threw them a pitiful glance. He knew exactly how the girls felt. After all he had been forced to watch his parents beeing tortured several times by now.

Furthermore, it had been only two month since Celine Greengrass's death – Astoria's and Daphne's mother.

The Dark Lord had eventually stopped torturing Thomas, who was rolling into a fetus position, shaking and gasping for breath.

„You're lucky, Thomas", Voldemort said amused, „I've been informed that the Order will arrive in Godric's Hollow tomorrow – and Potter will be with them."

„I'm gonna get him for you", spluttered Greengrass and then whimpered, when a new wave of pain hit him – the aftermath of the Cruciatus-Curse.

„Oh you won't", the Dark Lord laughed, „Astoria will accompany the others and bring Potter to me."

Astoria froze, her face draining from color.

„M-my Lord, please -"

„Antonin – bring her to me."

Dolohov nodded, ready to obey.

„No !", Daphne screamed and stepped protectively in front of her sister, „I'll do it ! Take me, I'll bring you Potter !"

„Rodolphus", the Dark Lord said bored and immediately Rodolphus Lestrange hurried over to grab Daphne's arm and pull her towards the double wing door.

„No !", Daphne screeched again, desperately trying to break away from him, „No ! Astoria !"

„Daphne !", screamed Astoria when Dolohov grabed her upper arm and dragged her in front of the Dark Lord.

„_NO !_", Daphne screamed one last time before the doors fell closed behind her, shutting out her screams.

Astoria's whole body began to shake while she was standing in front of Voldemort, her head lowered.

„My Lord, please, I beg you -", Thomas Greengrass breathed while getting to his feet with an effort, „Not my daughter ! I'll do whatever you want, my Lord, I -"

„You've had your chance, Thomas", the Dark Lord responded coldly, „Tell me, how does it feel to fear for the life of your daughter after you've just lost your wife?"

Thomas lowered his gaze.

„Well, to be honest", the Dark Lord continued with a gruesome smirk, „the way she's standing here crying and shaking all over, she won't survive tomorrow."

The attendant crowd of Death Eaters began to laugh.

Astoria hadn't noticed until then that she had indeed been crying the whole time. Anger cursed through her. Daphne wouldn't have cried if their places were switched.

„Astoria", Voldemort turned towards her, „aah, so much like her mother."

Astoria turned her hands into fists. How dare he talk about her mother ..

„I want you to bring me Harry Potter", he continued, „Is that clear ?"

„Yes, my Lord", she murmured.

„If you fail, you're going to die. But first you're gonna have to watch your sister beeing killed."

Astoria squinted her eyes shut, tears running down her cheeks.

„Thomas, get her out of here", Voldemort dismissed her and turned towards Theodore Nott, „Theo – the time has come for you to take the Dark Mark."

Astoria's head shot up in horror as Theo stepped forward with a proud grin.

„Astoria", her father said, touching her arm lightly before addressing Dolohov, „Take your hands of my daughter, Antonin."

The Death Eater sneered and then let go.

Putting a hand on his daughter's back, Thomas led her out of the room.

„How could you ?!", Daphne screached the moment the two of them entered the Entrance Hall. Her face was drowned in tears and she was boiling with rage as she approached her father. „How could you let that happen ? It's a suicide mission ! After all that has happened to Mom -"

„Don't you dare talk about your mother, young lady !", her father interrupted her angrily, „I couldn't do anything and you know that."

„You're a fucking coward !" Daphne screamed franticly while Astoria kept watching them silently, still not able to stop her crying, „You couldn't protect Mom and now Astoria's fate is sealed as well ! I _hate_ you !"

She spat at his feet and then glared up at him furiously. A second later her father backhanded her hard across the face.

Daphne gasped in pain while Astoria cried out in surprise.

„I wish Mom would still be alive and _you'd_ be dead."

* * *

Astoria woke in the middle of the night when someone knocked on her door and a moment later threw it open. Daphne rushed into her room, her face full of determination.

„Get up", she ordered before opening Astoria's wardrobe and pulling out a trunk, „You have to leave. Hurry up."

Astoria didn't know what was happening but got out of bed either way.

„Put these on", Daphne threw her a bundle of clothes before putting the rest of them in the trunk, then sealing it with magic.

„Daphne, what the hell -"

„We don't have time for explanations", her sister interrupted. With a swift movement of her wand the tunk levitated itself and flew out of the room.

Astoria pulled on her shirt and then let Daphne take her hand and lead her out of the room as well.

„What is _he_ doing here ?", she asked surprised, when she spotted non other then Draco Malfoy leaning anxiously against the wall.

„I'm here to get you out", he answered with a stoned expression while pushing himself of the wall, „We should hurry, you've wasted enough time already."

„Daphne, what's going on ?", Astoria began to panic as Daphne pulled her with her and towards the front door.

„We don't have -"

Suddenly Astoria jerked herself free and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

„I'm not moving until you tell me what the hell's going on here", she said stubbornly.

Draco groaned. „Tell her, Daphne."

Daphne closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

„Draco is spying for the Order", she explained calmly, „He'll take you to their Headquarters, the Order will protect you. Potter already knows you're coming."

„W-what ?", Astoria couldn't believe what she had just heard, „How could that be possible ? W-why would the Order trust _him_ ? He and Potter hate each other!"

„Astoria, please", Daphne begged, „We don't have time for this – you have to go."

„You – you're not coming with me ?", Astoria asked, suddenly aware that her sister was always only talking about her.

Daphne shook her head. „I can't leave Theo."

„Daphne", Astoria sobbed, „The Dark Lord will kill you. If I escape and you stay behind, he will kill you. I can't – I can't let you die for me !"

„Sshhhh", Draco hissed, „Not so loud. You're gonna wake them all up."

„Astoria, listen", Daphne said, completely ignoring Draco's comment, and took her sister's hands in hers, „Nothing will happen to me. Now that Theo is officially a Death Eater no one will hurt me – after all I'm his fiancé."

„He killed Mom even though she was married to one", Astoria sobbed.

„Mom tried to escape and betrayed the Dark Lord", Daphne sighed, „That was different. Draco will erase my memories, they'll never know I helped you – and when the time comes, Draco will give them back to me. And then I'm gonna come for you. But until then you have to let the Order protect you – please."

Daphne had started to cry while telling her sister all this. Astoria nodded her head and then flinged her arms around her sister's neck.

„I love you", she whispered desperately.

„I love you, too", Daphne responded and smiled sadly, „But you have to go now."

She pushed Astoria softly away from her.

„We'll see each other again soon" she said before addressing Draco, „Please, keep her safe."

„I will", he nodded, „Astoria, go. I'll meet you outside the gate."

Astoria glanced one last time at her sister before disappearing through the door.

Draco ran a hand through his hair before drawing his wand and aiming it at Daphne.

„Thank you", she whispered through her tears, smiling softly.

Draco returned her smile with a warmth he didn't know he was capable of. But his eyes were full of sorrow and pain when he said that one essential word.

„_Obliviate_."


End file.
